Currently, standardized and commercially deployed radio access technologies are proliferated. Such radio access technologies include the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), General Packet Radio System (GPRS), Wide-band Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), CDMA 2000 and others.
Positioning in wireless communication systems comprising these or other technologies can be performed in many different ways. A typical approach is that a request for positioning is provided. If the positioning information is not already available, some kind of measurement may be performed, and positioning data may be reported to a node responsible for the actual positioning.
Fingerprinting positioning algorithms operate by creating a radio fingerprint for each point of a fine coordinate grid that covers the Radio Access Network. The fingerprint may e.g. comprise the cell IDs that are detected by the terminal, in each grid point, or quantized path loss or signal strength measurements, with respect to multiple radio base stations, performed by the terminal, in each grid point.
Whenever a position request arrives, a radio fingerprint is firstly computed, based on various parameters which need to be measured. Thereafter the corresponding grid point is looked up and reported. This requires that the point is unique. A major problem with this approach is that extensive surveying needs to be performed when the fingerprinting database is created. Extra parameter measurements and extra signalling in general has to be performed.
It is thus a problem with existing positioning methods, to generate radio fingerprints that are unique without spending too much radio resources on measurements and signalling. Additional parameter measurements and extra signalling in general have an influence on the overall system load and thus decrease the capacity.
It is thus a problem with existing positioning methods to generate radio fingerprints that are unique without spending too much radio resources on surveying.